How to clean your muzzle loading shotgun 

its a lot of work looking after these old shooters so glad they found a good home in hungary 😆👍 great video as always

I like to add just a little dawn dishwashing detergent in my hot water bath. Then rinse, but other than that, lovey video! Thanks for sharing

My first time shooting a muzzleloader I listened to this guy down at the gun shop. I was 14 at the time and filled the bathtub with hot soapy water and scrubber the heck out of the bore. Then Mom came home halfway through....I will never do that again. Ever. Later I got my Dad into deer hunting with a muzzleloader. He is much wiser then I was. He had a bucket of hot water out in his shed. Live and learn.

The only thing I do different is after cleaning the bores, I flush them with boiling water from a kettle. This helps dry the barrel and washes the last little bit of carbon out. Other than that, same process my father taught me, which his father taught him, which his father taught him... Thank you again for another great video.

Man your voice and accent is amazingly hypnotic. In a good way.

So I have had varying degrees of success cleaning my cap and ball rifles so I dried out your method yesterday using a wet patch to seal the rifling and create the water pump effect that you did. This was total genius. I was able to fully clean two rifles start to finish in 45 minutes. The actual wet cleaning part only took 15 minutes or less! This is a game changer for me as it took almost no time at all. I also used a hair dryer blowing down the barrel to help dry more quickly and heat up the barrel so it will allow the lubrication to penetrate the steel better at the end as well. Looking forward to how this works out! Thank you

I started shooting BP rifles and fusils seriously two days ago and this video is three days old. Oddly convenient, but thank you from Louisiana.

I use a q tip to clean inside of the hammer

This is one of my favorite channels

I am always saddened by people who stay away from black powder guns because they think it is a huge long chore to clean. 5 min with some plain water is more than enough to remove fowling then it is simply a quick oiling.

My favorite piece of kit for all of my guns is a silicon cloth that I use to give the whole gun a wipe down as it is lightly permeated with oil and it really brings out the beauty of the wood even on guns that aren't usually considered "beauty" pieces like my old M48 Yugo Mauser.

I tried your method on my 20 gauge Pedersoli percussion shotgun. It really cleaned it. Like you said, the barrel got so hot I had to wear leather gloves to avoid getting burned. :-)

Excellent tutorial. Cleaning is a Zen-like extension of the shooting of a muzzle loading shotgun

Great video, it is always good to watch someone else cleaning guns, it is reassuring that I too am doing it correctly. Shotguns are a lot easier than BP revolvers but I still enjoy cleaning them. It's all part of the hobby.

Thanks for putting up this video. Anything that lessens the chore of cleaning these guns is appreciated!

I used to work at fort niagara, and we had ALWAYS alot of cleaning. I hooked up a hose to a hot water laundry faucet and attached a spray nozzle, very efficient to clean barrels

I just received the cartridge boxes and the cartridge formers. Great products, thank you.

Ah a perfect Sunday, wonderful video

When i used to shoot black powder guns , pistol, shotgun, flintlock etc. I used WD40 which held off any damp on the powder residue that caused rust. I could go without cleaning for a week or two with no rust whatsoever. When i had time to clean the gun i used hot water with a water oil mix like Youngs 303 oil. You can use soapy water but be careful as some soap like washing up liquid contains a salt. The heat of the water would dry off the barrel or cylinder and then oil. The real reason water was used to clean bores on muzzle loaders especially percussion cap firing guns was that the residue from the old type primers left a salt from the mercury in the primers that creates potassium chloride this with burnt soot rusted barrels and the potassium chloride could only be removed by water. In early cartridge guns that used corrosive primers found more so in military ammunition until 1950, the barrels had to be swabbed out with oil water mix ie Youngs 303 which you mix with water. Gun owners using early cartridges using the new smokeless powder with these primers thought that a good oiling of the bores were enough to clean the barrels but the corrosive chloride was still coated up the bore eating the barrel away causing pitting of the bore over time. If you look up barrels on old guns from the 1900s 1920- 60 you can see pitting in bores on a lot of guns. You tend not to see this as much with Flintlock guns as they didn't use corrosive primers. Of course you will see flintlocks with bores that have rust in them but it will be a fine pitting not like the deep patchy pitting of corrosive primer use, which in some cases can be a danger to shoot. I still shoot but other peoples guns but would love to get back into muzzle loading and get myself a flintlock which i love shooting years ago, but here in the UK its now difficult to get back into it these days.

A friend of mine showed me to use a coffee maker for hot water for cleaning my gun. It's fast and works very well.

Greetings from Poland and thank you for this video! I've just cleaned my Howdah Hunter with your method and now both barrels are clean.

Excellent video of a VERY controversial topic. Over the years we've seen lots of people with different ideas on what to do and how to do it to clean muzzle loaders. We kept is simple and this is almost how we do it too. The minor differences are, after putting the nipples in the same water I clean the bore with I put them in a cast iron pan on the stove in order to dry the inside of the touch hole. I also pour boiling water down the bore after cleaning in order to heat the barrels so they can dry more effectively. Easier to coat with oil too, especially with bore butter. BTW, in order to save my hand from the hot water I use a silicone oven mitt. Works great, protects and gives good grip. :-)

I do a similar method cleaning my original 1863 Springfield after matches but I leave my nipple in unless the gun won't be shot for the near future. If I can access hot water, I place a piece of rubber from a bikes inner tube folded over a time or two placed on my nipple with the hammer gently lowered over it. I then take a large rag or towel folder over many times and using water that is just below boiling in a campfire coffee pot and fill the bore with the water. I let it set for about 5 minutes and then pour it out and repeat. After 2 or 3 times of letting it sit with the water in the bore, I then begin to simply fill the bore leaving about 2 or 3 inches of air space and place the rag with my thumb over it and turn the barrel up side down until I jhear the bubble get to the breech and the flip it back right. I do this 2 or 3 times then pour the water out. I continue doing that until I either run out of, now luke warm water, or the water from the bore is clear. I find it often depends on how many shots I have fired that day for how fast the water runs clear. I then attack it with first a couple of drying patches followed by balistol soaked patches alternating soaked patches with drying patches until the drying patches come out looking clean and then oil the bore as you do but I use Remoil or 3in1 oil for the bore and then clean the outside the same as you do but if I will be shooting the musket again in the next day or so, I will not pull the nipple, just spray Remoil through it with the barrel pointed down followed by a folded clean patch held on the nipple with the hammer lowered easily over it. I have found that with rifles, the Balistol patches are needed to remove any lead fowling that has accumulated whereas with smoothbores, only 1 is needed to help disolve any fowling the hot water didn't get. I also mix my balistol somewhere around 60/40 to 50/50 water/Balistol. Before I found balistol, I had used Moose Milk from the Winchester Sutler but since Tom and Alice closed their sutlery down, I swapped to Balsitol. After a weekend of shooting, I will delve down into pulling my nipple, bolster screw, and lock, and cleaning any fowling that has made its way down and then slather them in a good healthy layer of RIG ( Rust Inhibiting Grease) and then make sure the entire arm is oiled and protected. I also store my gun with a sight protector and a wood tompion that has the wood heavily soaked in oil after I have sprayed a good bit of oil down the bore. I find with the folded patch over the nipple and the tompion in place, oil doesn't leak out. I have found this is neccesary here in the Deep South with our humidity, if the metal isn't almost dripping with oil, the metal will develop some rusting even if it is otherwise properly protected. When I lived in AZ, I never had any of those issues, but do here in GA.

Similar to my method. 1: Use 1/2 cup Simple Green to 1-gallon hot water, it will remove all fouling without harming the finish. 2: wrap a 2-inch square patch over and around my bronze bore brush. This will act as a pump and draw the water/cleaner up the bore to greatly aid in cleaning as it foams up. 3: I use Ballistol, a mineral oil-based chemical on all surfaces, it will lubricate, and protect metal and preserves the wood. were as petroleum products can damage the wood over time. 4: I use Loctite Silver Anti-Seize on the nipples, (it's what I have). and bobs your uncle. ^~^

Great video as always. I still love my cartridge formers.

I've never been that into blackpowder guns because of how dirty they get. But I like your process of cleaning.

I love it when people take care of their things

A few days ago I bought a Mauser DWM 7.65 - 1889 and this information is very useful to me. Thank you. Hace unos días compré un Mauser DWM 7.65 - 1889 y esta información me resulta muy útil. Muchas gracias.

You just made my Sunday! Thank you for the wonderful videos!

Bin immer wieder begeistert von Deinen Videos

Beautiful weapon - and well presented as always. I wonder if the maker and the original buyer could have guessed it would still be in use so many years later?

Thank you as always for this kind video.

That's a beautiful gun. Worth nurturing!

Good video on maintenance of muzzle loaders

That's what you should do what I have found oil no good it turns to tar like substance I know it's hard to find but Bear grease works great I'm sure other grease organic type be fine too Absolute dedication absolute loyalty+++

Great as always. I always enjoy your videos

I use a round toothpick to clean the hole in the nipple carefully does a great job

Thanks for putting up this video

That's pretty much exactly how I do my shotgun and rifle. The only difference is I have been using beeswax/tallow lube to grease the nipples before re-assembly. I haven't had a stuck nipple yet but it's early days!

Awesome! Much appreciated!

I have a double barrel black powder shotgun from 1860. It's in perfect condition.

First use a Container with cold water and wipe the fouling out of the Barrels by using a Nylon brush followed by wet! patches. Now change to the Container with hot water. Use only wet patches and pump the hot water through your Barrels. The water will never get as black as yours. Change your patches as long as they come out black. If possible use compressed air and blow your barrel dry. Brass or Bronce brushes are not necessary if choosing this method.

Thank you

Great instructions!!

Have you ever added a little dawn dish soap works very very well in cleaning !!

We have a product in the US I like to use on corrosive ammo situations: Marvel's Mystery Oil. It's an automotive product, not marketed for guns, but it neutralizes acids, lubricates, etc. And it's much cheaper than name brand gun oils. I've used in for years on BP revolvers with excellent results.

Nice video.

Great video!

Thats pretty much exactly how I do my cleaning since I got into Black Powder shooting, never failed me ;) One difference though: I use only warm instead of hot water and put a little dish soap in it, that way the barrels dont get that hot, but you have the same result.

Great video

Nice job well done

so nice to see this

After I just had to take the drive from the range to the house to get my firing pin worn out where corroded from black powder I have a modern inline black powder musket and the firing pin was all covered in rust just from going from the range to the house

Thanks for tutorial

Thank you. 👍🏼

Great show big fan love you're videos

Very good

I believe that chair is the same as mine.

THANK YOU, this video is extremely helpful. I've recently gotten into shooting black powder and I've quickly come to realize just how filthy and tedious it can get, though it's definitely part of the experience. Can you perhaps do a video on cleaning Remington percussion revolvers and their replicas? My Uberti New Model Army is my favorite BP firearm to shoot but my least favorite to clean.

Excellent! 👍👍😎

Absolutely wonderful video. I wonder could you do a video on Hungarian gun laws?

Americans can use a gallon milk jug. Also, you can find copper anti-sieze at any auto parts store. A small tube will do, as a little goes a long way.

👍 Danke fürs Hochladen! 👍 Thanks for uploading! 👍 Very good and beautiful, thank you! 👍 Sehr gut und schön, danke!

Really appreciate this video, very informative. Would you consider doing a cap’n’ball or cartridge revolver next? For a cartridge BP revolver I’m especially curious if it needs less cleaning due to some sealing that cartridge does.

Thank you for the demonstration. Could you demonstrate how you clean a full stock flintlock with the barrel pinned to the stock? For the nipples, would shotgun choke grease serve?

You do a great job I this video and all.the videos that I have see you do to.date. No.esoteric or political BS. Just good info and good shooting info..

1:3 Ballistol and water mixture will save you even more time. No need for the water pump method. Finish with 100% Ballistol to oil it for storage.

Another superb video. Hey, I thought I heard you say your last name in Nemeth. My Great Grandparents were from Hidas. (Nemeth and Horvat) I know the name is fairly common but still cool! CIAO

All you need is a bore tool some cloth... soap and water. And motor oil to oil the bore and gun so it doesnt rust. Its easy

Does anyone know wether this copper paste is already in use for a long time or is it a rather modern product?

I don't have any BP gun, I'll watch the video anyway. I'll do as you instructed, I'll buy a BP gun now.

Does anyone know if copper or pewter roundballs can be used as an alternative to lead in a smooth bore?

I allways use soapy water (soapflakes), it leaves a greasy surface when the water evaporates, and keeps the rust away till you oil it

Great video! What's the name on the lock? I have a very similar looking shotgun, but with damascus barrels.

Sou brasileiro e meu sonho é possuir uma espingarda desse modelo é perfeita no acabamento e nos detalhes 🇧🇷

What is the strap on your range rod used for? Also great video, I like this method. And the timing is perfect I just got my first black powder shotgun last week

Очень интересно!!!

If you interest in hunting jackals pls come to central Serbia we have a problem with to much jackals and fox trust me

The " vedge ." .... you are good .

ROFLMAO. Finally, someone who really knows how to clean a BP gun. I really thought you'd forget to mention the wife. Nope , you covered all the bases. Now, if you can figure a way to convince her it's a new outdoorsman air freshener......

i don't have any gun but i still watching XD

Aqui no Brasil, na cultura antiga exprimia suco de limão na água quente pra facilitar a limpeza.

Thanks again for sharing a black powder related video. I am really enjoying your videos and the interesting firearms you present, often in a historic setting. A bit off topic; but are you aware of the coming lead ban for firearm projectiles in the EU? This will effectively destroy the black powder shooting hobby, as there are no alternatives to lead in our projectiles. I'm a bit worried about this. Do you know if MLAIC has taken some action? Here in Norway none of the shooting organizations are doing anything, and we will probably have to comply to the coming ban in 2023.

Nice ml guns I have one mussleloader with big chamber but poor penetration how can i improve penetration

I asume you do the same this with flintlock and matchlock?

How do you clean the patent breech area on a pedersoli hawken? My jag is too large to fit in that area as well as the fire channel and I'm wondering if residue will build up over time.

I'm saving money to get a new 10 gauge muzzleloader! You said about making the kitchen dirty and your wife will kill you. Yup I've learn my lesson when we got married 7 years ago hahaha

I have a reproduction of an Enfield muscket made by Pederosoli. Will this cleaning techniquice be viable for it? I am always looking for ways to speed up the process while having a clean weapon for next use.

My Daughter and I love my Pedersoli 12G, I'm buying another in the near future for my Daughters Birthday. A question for you, how often do you re'clean when in storage/not being used for say 6 months? I usually re-clean once every 6 weeks tokeep all internals happy.

Hi , I have a early Jaeger rifle that was repurposed in ww2 and used to kill a large number of Nazis. Its single shot. Rondelle and brass pins from the war! Think you would like it!. Have you seen many black powder guns user by the resistance?

I just got myself a pedersoli 10gauge.

The only objection the manufacturer of my rifle has is do not lubricate with PETROLEUM based products. They make a lubricant that can be used on patches as well as anointing the bore to prevent rust.Anyway very interesting video. Stay well.

👍

I am researching the hunting rifle depicted in Eugène Delacroix’s painting “Liberty Leading The People.” It was a work commemorating the July Revolution of 1830 in France. The bourgeoisie is represented by a young man in a top hat holding what appears to be a double-barreled shotgun. Wikipedia has a detailed version of the painting, but I cannot determine if the hammer indicates the gun has been shot or is ready to be shot. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

What if use non corrosive gunpowder

Well, that was entertaining and educational to watch. I think I'm going to clean my... .. wait. I don't own any firearms. O_O

I assume all of this applies to revolvers too

Ye kah milega sir

I've always wanted a nipple wrench 🔧😋

Wife or not dont do this in a fiberglass shower/tub, the black stain in the nonskid is not easily removed.